2025 LDV Terron 9: Australian testing underway for bigger, bolder Ranger rival

LDV may have just launched an updated version of its Ford Ranger-rivalling T60 ute, but now it has a larger, more boldly styled ute waiting in the wings that it’s currently testing locally.

Government approval documents first reported by CarExpert earlier this month uncovered the turbo-diesel Terron 9 and its electric eTerron 9 sibling, with LDV’s website confirming at the time the latter ute was due during the first quarter of 2025 (January to March).

That launch timing has now been pushed back to the second quarter (April to June), and LDV has confirmed it’s currently conducting final validation testing for the Terron 9 in Australia.

LDV engineers have been testing the Terron 9’s traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist and other electronic driver aid systems – often a source of annoyance for drivers when programmed poorly – on main and backroads in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland in a bid to better calibrate the ute for local conditions.

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While LDV hasn’t said what will power the Terron 9, it’s been approved to go on sale with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 164kW of power. A torque figure wasn’t specified in the government approval documents.

Both rear- and four-wheel drive variants have been green-lit to be sold in Australia, with gross vehicle mass (GVM) varying between 3320kg and 3500kg.

Despite being larger and more modern than the LDV T60, the Terron 9 will be sold in local showrooms alongside the older ute, which will stay on to offer buyers a more affordable alternative.

“We want to make sure when a ute buyer walks into an LDV showroom, we have a vehicle that offers value across a range of price points,” said LDV Australia General Manager, Dinesh Chinnappa.

“We are not going to leave our traditional ute buyers behind. Rather, the LDV Terron ute series will broaden our offering across the ute segment.”

The Terron 9 measures 5500mm long, 1997mm wide and 1860mm tall on a 3300mm wheelbase, with 220mm of running clearance.

This makes it 105mm longer, 97mm wider and 41mm taller than the T60 Max Plus on a 125mm longer wheelbase.

Both utes will be joined by the electric LDV eTerron 9, a more professional approach by the brand to amp up the battery-powered ute market than the eT60.

Since going on sale in late 2022, approximately 100 eT60s have been sold – mainly to fleets and businesses targeting zero tailpipe emissions – with its launch price of $92,990 before on-road costs more than double that of the turbo-diesel T60.

While it was a pioneer in the segment, the eTerron 9 represents improvements across almost every measurable aspect.

“This is a completely different vehicle, inside and out,” said Mr Chinnappa.

“We are proud that the LDV eT60 was the first electric ute in Australian showrooms, but we are also proud to demonstrate just how far electric ute technology has progressed with this all-new model.”

LDV’s electric eTerron 9 shares identical dimensions to its turbo-diesel sibling, and it’s been approved for sale with a 3500kg braked towing capacity – well up on the battery-powered eT60’s 1000kg limit.

Both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive layouts have been approved for sale in Australia, developing 200kW and 325kW respectively, which is significantly more than the 130kW rear-drive-only eT60.

The eTerron 9’s electric motors are fed by a 102kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, which can provide up to 430km of claimed driving range based on the WLTP test cycle in the dual-motor variant.

It also features vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing owners to power external appliances and tools, with overseas examples featuring several 2.2kW sockets throughout the vehicle, plus an external 6.6kW connection.

The LDV eTerron 9’s mid-2025 arrival will coincide with a flurry of electric or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes going on sale or having already launched in Australia.

The BYD Shark 6 PHEV is soon rolling out to customers, the Ford Ranger PHEV is due in early 2025, and the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is expected around March or April.

Further down the track, Isuzu is first launching its electric D-Max EV in Norway next year with an Australian debut to follow, while Geely wants to bring an electric ute – likely the Radar Auto RD6 – to the local market.

Pricing and specifications for the LDV Terron 9 and eTerron 9 will be announced closer to each model’s Australian arrival.

MORE: 2025 LDV Terron 9 revealedMORE: 2025 LDV eTerron 9: New electric ute locked in for Australia MORE: LDV’s next electric ute for Australia? Maxus eTerron 9 revealed